STRESSFUL LIFE EVENTS AND MINOR PSYCHIATRIC-DISORDERS - AN ESTIMATE OF THE POPULATION ATTRIBUTABLE FRACTION IN A BRAZILIAN COMMUNITY-BASED STUDY

Objective: A population-based survey was conducted in Pelotas, souther n Brazil, to assess the specific and the combined contribution of life events and socioeconomic factors on the overall prevalence of minor p sychiatric disorders (MPD). Methods: The study covered a representativ e sample of the population aged fifteen years or older living in the u rban area of the city. Using multi-stage sampling, a total of thirty c ensus tracts and 600 households were selected. A standardized question naire assessed the presence of MPD (using the Self-Reporting Questionn aire-SRQ-20), the occurrence of life events (death of a relative, a re lative with a chronic disease, loss of employment, divorce, migration, accident, and robbery/assault), and socioeconomic factors. Results: T he prevalence of MPD was 22.7 percent (17.9% males and 26.5% females) and increased with age. Significant linear relationships with educatio n and income were observed: the less education and income, the higher the prevalence of MPD. All life events, except migration and accident, were positively associated with MPD. People who experienced divorce i n the last year had a prevalence of MPD three times higher than those who had not. The likelihood of MPD increased linearly with the number of life events. The highest proportion of Population Attributable Frac tion for any life events was 24 percent. Conclusions: These data sugge st that life events can explain a substantial proportion of MPD and wi th socioeconomic factors may be related to the onset of MPD.